Tuesday 17 September 2024

Versions Of A Walk

Sometimes the kind of walk you enjoy depends on other factors than where you go and what kind of weather you get. Sometimes my walks vary according to the version of myself that sets out to explore the countryside.



The first living creature encountered on this walk was a Red Admiral butterfly feeding on the ivy. For whatever reason butterflies have been scarce on my travels this summer, and those I have met made it clear they had no intention to linger. But this was an odd day weather-wise - chilly, breezy, but with warm sun in sheltered spots. This little creature was too busy lapping up nectar and sunshine to take much notice of me.



Just across the water from Amwell Nature Reserve there's a wood. The birdwatchers who gather here know that on sunny days there are often birds of prey riding the thermals above the treetops. I once saw seventeen Common Buzzards circling there. It may have been that day when I first set off to see if there was a way into the wood, for if there are birds of prey then there will be other creatures present too.



So I must have soon passed this delightful scene, known as Tumbling Bay according to the map. On that first occasion I was looking for birds and probably encountered a selection of the more common wildfowl. This time, although I had an eye out for birds, my mind was more set on searching for pretty pictures.



And butterflies of course! This one allowed me even closer.



We were briefly sidetracked towards Hollycross Lake, which is sometimes a place for dragonflies - or water voles, if you're lucky. Not too bad scenically either.



And then we followed the valley of the River Ash for a while. Jays were calling and to my ear sounded as if they were complaining about the injustice of it all. Meanwhile a Buzzard mewed in its sympathetic but world-weary way. You can actually see the Buzzard in the centre of the shot, just above the trees. There's a peculiarly English beauty to this section of the walk, despite the presence of earth-moving machinery and chain-saws down beside the river. Or more accurately BECAUSE of said machines; they are involved in a long-term project to restore this chalk-stream.



This Comma butterfly maybe appreciates the combined efforts of the Wildlife Trusts and the farmer to tip the balance more in nature's favour. If I'd had my documentary or environmental head on I'd have taken photos of the way they are encouraging the river to meander, but today I was searching out those pretty views.



That's looking back and you can see that we are circling the "buzzard wood", which is on the left as we see it in the above photo. And, just as I discovered all those years ago when first I came this way, it's protected by little signs saying "Private Property". There's also a sign on the road which proclaims that it's a Christian college, though the buildings are completely hidden by the trees. 



There's something about the farms and fields around here that shouts to me that this was once all part of a big estate, probably centred on that large building, now a college, in among the trees. As we walked around the wood this was more or less confirmed by stylish houses called "North Lodge" and "South Lodge" on the roads leading in; these were the old gatekeepers' lodges. Other similar buildings on the periphery probably housed gamekeepers or perhaps farm managers.



The version of me who looks for birds and the one intent on taking photographs never investigated further, but this time I had Les with me and he asked a few questions which sent me off on a romp through the internet when I got home. But not before I'd photographed this Speckled Wood butterfly, another fluttering friend who was soaking up the September sun.



What I found online was that Easneye Mansion was built for Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton in 1868. His father, who had the same name and title, was responsible for eventually getting the Emancipation of Slaves bill through parliament, having been entrusted to do so by the ailing William Wilberforce. Buxton had made his fortune like many in this area from the brewing industry, but the family soon turned their attention to good works. In fact brewing porter was seen at the time as being beneficial to society as it was considered less harmful than gin, which was creating huge problems in nineteenth century London.   



The Buxtons were social reformers who were also involved in missionary work and so it was that Easneye Mansion became a Christian college aimed at creating a new kind of missionary who liaised with existing religions in far-off lands rather than trying to change beliefs. For some reason I remembered an elderly couple by the name of Buxton who lived near my mother. He was a very learned gentleman and despite a fairly modest lifestyle it was obvious that both were well-educated and came from a privileged background. A few clicks of the mouse confirmed that they were indeed related to the Easneye Buxtons. But it was not their money or learning that impressed my mum: it was their simple kindness.



The mansion is one of those heritage buildings which can not be viewed by the general public as far as I can discover. However no such restrictions apply to the Jolly Fishermen pub, just down the road in Stanstead Abbots. It was the hungry version of my brother and I that devoured substantial meals within.


Take care.


24 comments:

  1. Some lovely pics that you have put up. On our walks along the shoreline where we live there is quite a bit of wildlife. Mostly different birds and butterflies, the occasional fox.

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  2. Thank you so much for sharing the undeniable beauty of this walk. I do love flutterbyes. Ephemeral magic. I hope the pub lunch was excellent.

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  3. It was truly delightful to ramble with you. If ever I make it back to England, high on my agenda will be a walk with you, John - if you would have me, of course. I promise to spring for a good pub lunch. May I mention - only because I am sure you would wish to know - above you write “if your lucky” whereas, of course, it should be, “if you’re lucky.” Damn that autocorrect! Thanks again for great pictures and your always entertaining narrative.

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  4. Lovely butterfly photos - so few around this year. Have to hope next year will be better

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  5. I’ve chased a good few butterflies this summer, most to no avail. There was a day though when they were more settled and I photographed four the same day. It must have been the temperature or another unknown factor.

    This ramble was another great excursion. Thank you for taking us along!

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  6. Another lovely walk, John! Thanks for the lovely photos and the interesting dialog along the way.

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  7. I've seen fewer butterflies than normal this year too but over the last couple of weeks I have been seeing the Monarch butterflies heading south which is lovely.
    A beautiful scenic hike today, John.

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  8. Good to do your reference work to find out more about the history of a place that seemed a bit mysterious (hidden? private?) As always I enjoyed walking with you all, and hope your luncheons were enjoyable and satisfying.

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  9. It seems that you have a lot more beautiful places for walking in your area. The photos are lovely, and hopefully more butterflies will be around next year.

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  10. A very picturesque landscape you shared with us. Beautiful butterflies are always a pleasure to see. Thanks, John.

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  11. He disfrutado de tu paseo y de las buenas fotografías que has hecho.
    Un abrazo.

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  12. The comma butterfly really stands out for me

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  13. Thank you for sharing another lovely walk, John. You have so many lovely walks there.

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  14. I saw my first Monarch butterfly this afternoon...and bet I have not seen more than a dozen all summer. When I worked at the orchard, the Red Admirals would land on me and just stay. I probably had the smell of the trees and apples on me.

    I sure would enjoy rambling around there. You live in a beautiful area...

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  15. The light on this day looks so clear and bright! That second to last photo--- I had to enlarge it to see the detail. It looks like a Monet watercolor, just beautiful.

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  16. You achieved your goal John - you definitely found lots of pretty pictures.

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  17. You found plenty of 'pretty' photos. It would perhaps be hard not to on such a wonderful day in such a lovely area. I've hardly seen any butterflies this year.

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  18. Nice to end a walk with a healthy appetite and find a charming spot to satisfy that hunger.

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  19. Something that really stands out to me with your pictures, sometimes, is that they feature a landscape/flowerscape/butterflyscape that is something that would have been familiar to someone a hundred years ago, or two hundred years ago. The photography subjects that seem to draw you to them are, in many cases, the things in your world that are unchanged and timeless. Following along on your walks is a sweet escape from the world outside of your pictures.

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  20. Good that you came across a few butterflies on your walk. I saw, this morning, that the butterfly count this year shows a decline in their numbers. I've seen more in the last few days than in the rest of the year so far. Wonderful photos, as always:)

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  21. A great place for walking, no matter for which version of you. I am impressed by a) the 17 buzzards you all saw at once (my personal record is 9 above one single field surrounded by woodland) and b) the butterfly photos. I often see butterflies on my walks but have as good as given up on trying to take pictures of them; by the time I fumble my mobile out, they are usually gone. Also, I don't think I have ever seen a comma butterfly. Maybe there aren't any in Germany.
    Interesting story about the Buxtons and their work. Not all rich landowners were greedy and bad, many genuinely felt it their responsibility to look after "their" people and do something good.

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    1. Thanks for visiting and commenting. My observations of Buzzards suggests to me the following: the greatest numbers seem to assemble when the first youngsters are fully fledged, they fly off to search for their own territory, the adult birds from the prospective territory fly up to let the young birds know it is already fully occupied, these can sometimes then be joined by the almost independent offspring of those parent birds. If there are other woods nearby then buzzards from those woods might come to join in and warn the new interlopers away from their home. You can see how quite a company can soon assemble in the right conditions. And in all this there never seems to be a skirmish of any kind, superiority seems to belong to those who fly highest and often they are only visible through binoculars.

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  22. A delightful walk and fascinating follow up. How amazing to have the connection with your Mother.

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